Strip feeding device



June l2, 1934. T. H. KRUEGER STRIP FEEDING DEVICE Filed Deo. 24, 1931 Ol. N b, 4m. mY .w m

L a C iii 'was MW" M /NVENTOR /7/ A TTORNEY Patented June 12, 1934UNITED STATES PATENT. GFFIC y 6 Claims.

This invention relates to strip serving devices and has for an object toprovide an improved arrangement to facilitate the feeding ofpredetermined lengths.

The invention has been developed in connection with the production ofapparatus for feeding and moistening predetermined lengths of gummedpaper tape of the type in which the tape is fed by a manually operatedreciprocating feeder member operative upon its forward movement to feedthe tape and for convenience, such an embodiment of the invention willbe described to illustrate the principles of the invention but it willbe understood that the particular description is illustrative merely andis not intended as defining the limits of the invention.

The conditions and manner of use of devices for feeding measured lengthsof paper, gummed tape and the like are such that it is desirable to beable with facility to feed definite measured lengths in order toeconomize material and prevent waste.

A measuring scale extending parallel to the line of movement of areciprocable feeding member and along which a pointer carried by thefeeding member moves, has been used to facilitate feeding measuredlengths but when feeding longer lengths requiring more than a singlereciprocation of the feeding member it is necessary to calculate thenumber of feeding movements and the extent of the last movement.

These devices are used mainly in shipping rooms by unskilled labor andin the circumstances mental arithmetic slows up the Work or is neglectedin favor of guessing, with loss of time or waste of material.

The present invention has for an object to eliminate the necessity forsuch calculation by providing a direct indicating means which may beused with a minimum of effort and a maximum of accuracy.

It is further an object to provide indicating means of this characterwhich is arranged for a maximum of convenience and accuracy in use. Thenature and objects of the invention will be better understood from adescription of a particular illustrative embodiment for the purpose ofwhich description reference should be had to l the accompanying drawingforming a part hereof and in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view taken somewhat diagonally showing the top of thedevice,

Figure 2 is a side view of the same,

Figure 3 is a detail plan view showing the position of the guardrelative to the cutter and the end of the tape guide.

The strip feeding device shown for .the purpose of illustration providesa scale 5 positioned parallel to guide 6, which extends down an inclineto the cutting knife 7 and moistening device 8. The tape is fed down theslide by a reciprocable hand operated feeding device or slide 9 Whichhas a clamping jaw 10 cooperating with the strip. The jaw 10 is carriedby a pivoted member, the upstanding arm 11 of which forms a handle forfeeding operation. The natural pressure of the hand during the feedingmovement presses the jaw 10 into feeding engagement with the strip. Aspring 11a extending over a roller 12 and back to a suitable anchor pin13 returns the feeding slide to initial position. At the top of theguide a one-way detent 14 prevents backwardmovement of the strip whilepermitting free forward movement.

The scale 5 is made in three columns,y each graduated in inches. Eachcolumn corresponds to a full feed stroke and in each column the figuresrepresent the feed length of the column in question plus the accumulatedfeed length of the preceding column or columns. The figures in eachcolumn are positioned to indicate the position of the feeding device atone end of the stroke when feeding the corresponding measured length ofstrip.

The figures in the left column read up in the direction of feed, that isto say, down the incline toward the severing knife '7. These figuresindicate the position of the feeding device 9 at the end of the firstfull feeding stroke after the length indicated has been fed. Theoperator in feeding a strip of fifteen inches or less notes the positionof the figure representing the desired length and moves the feedingmember 9 to the position in which the arrow 15 carried by the slide 9lies opposite this figure and then releases the feeding slide to permitit to return to its starting position under the action of the spring 11.He then presses the knife to sever the length fed.

The figures in subsequent columns, only a second and third being shown,read up in the opposite direction, that is to say from 15 as the zero ofthe second column to 30 and in the third column from 30 as its zero to45. The figures 15 and 30 however, not being shown at the bottom of thescale. 'I'hese gures therefore lie in each case at the first end orbeginning of the short stroke, necessary to complete the feed of thelengths indicated. If the particular figure selected lies in the secondcolumn one full length preliminary stroke is necessary and if in thethird column two such full length strokes are necessary.

To illustrate, suppose twenty inches of tape is required. The operatormakes one full str-oke, thereby feeding fifteen inches, and during thismovement he notes the position of the figures 20 in the second columnand moves the feed device back only as far as figure 20 and pulls itdown as far as it will go to complete the feeding of the desired 20inches. The arrangement shown is preferable to an arrangement in whichthe figures in the second column run downwardly instead of upwardly, inwhich case the operator would move his hand to the top of the slide forthe second stroke and then down to the position indicated by the figure20. Such an arrangement would be less advantageous than the arrangementshown in that for the second stroke in the case under consideration itwould be necessary to move the hand all of the way to the top of themachine for the second stroke or final stroke to complete the feed, andthen to the bottom of the stroke to out the paper. The arrangement shownalso has the advantages that during the upward movement to the pointindicated by the Figure 20,' for example, in preparation for the secondfeeding stroke, the scale is in full view unobscured by the hand or armof the operator, the eye readily catches the position figure and becausethe feeding slide is unloaded on this upward movement accuracy is moreeasily attained or a mistake corrected.

In use the position of a figure indicating the desired length in onecolumn or another indicates immediately the number of full lengthfeeding strokes necessary at the start of the operation.

The guide in the device shown is hinged at its upper end as indicated atyi3 and is clamped in operative position at its lower end by two springclamps 19.

The strip as fed by the device along the guide passes beneath a guard 20positioned relatively close'to the severing knife. This guard holds thestrip against buckling during the cutting operation.

It will be understood that the particular arrangement shown is merelyillustrative and that the invention may be variously embodied withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention as defined in the claims. v

The machine shown is similar in many details to my Patent 1,638,816,August` 9, 1927.

I claiml. In a strip serving device, the combination with areciprocating strip feeding device of a measuring scale to facilitatefeeding measured lengths which comprises a strip having a plurality ofcolumns of figures, the figures in one column reading up in one'direction to the figure representing the length fed by one feedingmovement of the device and the figures in another column reading up inthe opposite direction to the figure representing the length fed by twofeeding movements of the device.

2. In a strip serving device, strip feeding means and a visual measuringdevice for measuring the length of strip fed comprising adjacent theline of movement of an element of said feeding means a stationarymeasuring scale having a plurality of columns of indicating figures, thefigures in one column indicating the positions for the feeding elementwhen at one end of a single feeding movement which feeds the lengthsindicated by said figures respectively and the figures in another columnindicating the positions for the feeding element when at one end of asubsequent feeding movement which completes the feeding of the lengthsindicated by said figures respectively after a first full length feedingmovement.

3. In a strip serving device, strip feeding means and a visual measuringdevice for measuring the length of strip fed comprising adjacent theline of movement of an element of said feeding means a stationarymeasuring scale having a plurality of columns of indicating figures, thefigures in one column reading in the direction of movement of an elementof the feeding means and each figure indicating directly the length fedby such movement and the figures in another column reading in theopposite direction and each such figure indicating the position to whichthe feeding element should be moved to begin a final feeding movementwhich will complete the feeding of the length indicated by such figure.

4. In a strip serving device an inclined strip guide, a strip severingdevice at the lower end of said guide, a reciprocating strip feedermovable along said guide, and a measuring scale extending parallel tosaid guide and with which said feeder is coordinated tomeasure thelengths fed, said scale having a plurality of columns of figures one ofwhich reads from zero to the figure representing the length of a feedingmovement of the strip feeder, another of which reads Vfrom 4that figureup to the figure representing the length fed by two feeding movements,whereby a selected measured length can be fed by moving the feeder oncealong the scale between the Zero position and a selected figure positionin the first column or by moving the feeder once the full length of thefeeding movement and a second time between the selected figurepositionin the second column and the end of the scale.

5. A strip serving device as defined in claim 4 in which the figures inthe first column read from Zero at the upper end of the scale andincrease down the scale and the figures in the second column increase upthe scale.

6. In a strip serving device, a strip guide, means to advance the striptherealong comprising a reciprocating feed member, and adjacent the lineof movement of said feed member a stationary measuring scale having aplurality of columns of indicating figures, the figures in one columnreading up to the figure representing the length fed by one feedingmovement of the device and the gures in another column reading up fromthe above mentioned figure to the figure representing the length fed bytwo feeding movements of the device. f

THEODORE H. KRUEGER.

